I express my thanks and those of my colleague, Fintan, to Mr. Martin Groves and all of the staff of the Seanad.

We all have our political lives to lead and none of us knows whether we will be here for long. It has been an enjoyable eight and a half years for me in the House. I wish everyone well personally. Let us put our elections, whether we succeed or fail, into perspective. There is life above and beyond those.

On this last day, I wish to reflect for a moment or two on the privilege I had of working in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Approximately one month ago, I led a fact-finding visit to Lampedusa in Sicily to meet some of the people who were trying to make their way from Africa to Europe. It was a harrowing couple of days. We met under-18s who had been kidnapped, imprisoned and tortured in Libya by the Libyan Coast Guard. We met minors who had had a similar experience in Tunisia. There, they tend to lead the children back out into the desert and leave them there.

I am raising these issues because it has been official EU policy for years to support the Libyan Coast Guard. The EU has done a deal along the same lines with the discredited Tunisian Government. We have had various back and forths on the EU migration pact, but colleagues should be clear that the pact is designed to further enfort the European Union and keep human beings out regardless of the consequences. This is not a popular line for me to take, but it is correct to highlight the horrific behaviour of the European Union and the nonsense we hear about “EU values”. I saw those values first hand. Basically, they entail saying it is okay to lock these children up, leave them there, have them kidnapped and have their parents rung with demands for money.

The EU is paying money to these regimes and supporting it because it suits its purpose. When we lose our values in any debate on immigration then we are all the poorer. Let us never forget that once we allow any human being to be treated in that way, it is only a matter of time before another group is picked upon, and it becomes wider and wider. We all know the consequences of that throughout history.

I will finish with a quote from the great Italian philosopher Gramsci, who said: “The old world is dying and the new world is struggling to be born. Now is the time of monsters.” He said that in the 1930s but I think it is equally appropriate today. I appeal to all Senators, regardless of party affiliation, to remember the values that should unite all of us in terms of defending human rights. Whoever is back here in the next Seanad should make sure that is front and centre of everything we do.

We are fortunate that we live in a peaceful, safe and successful democracy. When we reflect on the many conflicts going on around the world - the horrors we are seeing in the Middle East, the tragedy that is Sudan and the fact that very shortly it will have been 1,000 days since Putin invaded Ukraine - it should be of serious concern that Russia and North Korea have entered into a mutual defence agreement and North Korean troops are taking part in the continuing invasion of Ukraine. It is critical, and I agree with Senator Gavan, that we stand up for those values that are really important in a republic; values around human rights, the rule of law and respect for democracy. We talk about those globally as well as within our own State.

I join with others in thanking Martin, Bridget and all the team in the Seanad Office and those in the Houses of the Oireachtas more widely for all their work, courtesy and help. We have probably driven them mad at times with some of the queries that come in. Without the very hard work that all the staff put in, our work is not possible. That includes our own secretaries and staff in our offices.

Like others, I wish those running in Dáil and Seanad elections the very best. It is important in a democracy that people contest elections. I pay tribute and thanks to colleagues on all sides who are retiring and not seeking election again. The House will forgive me if I mention my good friend, Shane Cassells. Shane and I started in local government 25 years ago. We have soldiered together for a long time. I do not think anyone can underestimate his passion and enthusiasm for all things Meath, but also on policy issues, whether it is investment in sport or fighting for online safety. I will certainly miss him as a parliamentary colleague. To Shane and all the others who may not be back here, I wish them the best.